CVE-2024-11029 is a vulnerability identified in the FreeIPA API audit mechanism, specifically during the installation process. FreeIPA, an open-source identity management system widely used in Linux environments, logs the entire command line used during installation to the system journal via journalctl. Unfortunately, this includes the administrative user's credentials, such as the administrator password, in plaintext. This logging behavior inadvertently exposes sensitive information to anyone with access to the journal logs. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in environments where journal logs are centralized or aggregated for monitoring, as this could allow unauthorized personnel or attackers with access to the centralized logs to retrieve administrator credentials without needing to compromise the system directly. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 5.5 (medium severity), reflecting that the attack vector is local (AV:L), requires low privileges (PR:L), and no user interaction (UI:N) is needed. The impact is primarily on confidentiality (C:H), with no direct impact on integrity or availability. The flaw does not require authentication beyond low privileges, but access to the journal logs is necessary, which may be restricted in many environments. No known exploits are currently in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet, but the vulnerability is publicly disclosed and should be addressed promptly. This issue highlights the risk of sensitive data exposure through system logging mechanisms and the importance of securing audit and log data.

For European organizations, the exposure of FreeIPA administrator credentials can lead to unauthorized access to critical identity management functions, potentially allowing attackers to escalate privileges, create or modify user accounts, and access sensitive systems. This could compromise the confidentiality of user data and internal resources. Organizations that centralize journal logs for monitoring or compliance purposes are at higher risk, as attackers or unauthorized insiders with access to these logs could extract credentials without direct system compromise. The vulnerability does not directly affect system availability or integrity but poses a significant confidentiality risk that could cascade into broader security incidents. Given FreeIPA's use in government, education, and enterprises across Europe, the impact could be substantial if not mitigated. The medium severity score reflects the need for timely remediation but also acknowledges the limited attack vector and required privileges.

1. Immediately restrict access to journal logs (journalctl) to trusted administrators only, ensuring that unprivileged users cannot read sensitive logs. 2. Avoid centralizing journal logs that include FreeIPA installation or administrative commands unless logs are encrypted and access-controlled. 3. Monitor and audit access to journal logs to detect any unauthorized attempts to read sensitive information. 4. Follow FreeIPA project updates closely and apply patches or configuration changes as soon as they become available to prevent credential leakage. 5. Consider using alternative secure methods for FreeIPA installation that do not expose credentials in command lines or logs, such as environment variables or interactive prompts that do not get logged. 6. Implement strict operational security policies around credential handling during installation and administration. 7. If possible, rotate administrator credentials after installation to invalidate any potentially leaked passwords. 8. Educate system administrators about the risks of logging sensitive information and enforce secure logging practices.